Expert: Clive Heath - 7/7/2010

Question
QUESTION: Today there are different views on the the qualification that a deacon must be the husband of one wife. I would like the biblical truth.

ANSWER: Hi Yvonne,

The Biblical view of your question is very straight foreward, it is as follows-

Deacons must be reverent, not greedy for money or drink and must be completely blameless, in all things.

Their wives must also be revernt and faithful in all things.

But a Deacon must be the husband of one wife, as it says in 1 Timothy 3: 8-13.

So as far as I am concerned that is the Biblical truth.

Regards and God Bless

Clive Heath

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Perhaps I should have asked: Is it Biblical that a man can be a deacon if he is divorced, has re-married, and the woman he divorced is still living?

Answer
Hi Yvonne,


I am so glad to have been of help.

The answer to your second question is confusing, as in Matthew 19:6-9 it says that if a man divorces his wife except for sexual immorality and marries another he has commited adultery. Timothy says that a man should be husband to one wife.

Paul says that a Deacon can be either married or single as long as long as he meets the qualifications of Godliness.

I can only say that in the Baptist church the Bible is our highest authority and it says in Timothy 3:12 let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife. But we do not know if that means past or present tense.

My view is that it means present tense as things that are gone are gone, thus I believe a man can be a Deacon as long as he is faithful to his present wife and of course to God.

Regards and God Bless

Clive